Today's Buzz: Climate change: Should Obama act?

Wednesday's Buzz: Climate change: Should Obama act?

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(George Skene, Orlando Sentinel )

July 3, 2013|Orlando Sentinel Editorial Board

Last week President Obama unveiled a new initiative to fight climate change that would bypass Congress. He gave the Environmental Protection Agency a year to draft regulations to cut carbon dioxide emissions from power plants, which account for about a third of heat-trapping emissions in the U.S. He also vowed not to approve the Keystone XL pipeline, which would carry oil from Canada’s tar sands to the U.S. Gulf Coast, if the project significantly increases greenhouse gases. Obama vowed during his first campaign to lead a battle against climate change, but his efforts stalled in Congress. Critics said the president’s new plan would devastate the U.S. coal industry and raise energy costs, hurting the U.S. economy. But supporters said the president’s plan is years overdue. What do you think? Should Obama be acting without Congress behind him? Will his plan help or hurt the economy in the long run? Are you concerned about climate change? Talk about it!